To Make You Fall In Love (Phan)

Chapter 40

Dan was still in hospital a week later when I had to leave, I visited him right before my dad turned up to pick me up.

"Do you really have to go?" He said. He was sitting up in bed eating a jelly snack pot.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I'll come visit you on weekends. It's only three weeks. Then I'm 18 and I can come back and I was thinking...that maybe..." I took a deep breath, "that we could maybe buy a flat, maybe when you're 18, I mean...we don't have to, I just...thought maybe-"

"- Phil oh my god yes!" Dan said excitedly and pulled me towards him onto his bed and hugging me, dropping his jelly snack pot on the floor.

"What? Really?" I ask.

"Yes! Definitely!" He said loudly. "I mean we've practically lived together for a couple of months now,"

"Yeah I guess we have and I know it's a little rushed but it seemed right,"

"Nothing has ever seemed more right," Dan said and he wrapped his arms round my neck and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his waist careful to be gentle and not hurt him. He licked my lips softly and I opened them allowing him to deepen the kiss. He leaned further into me and I smiled. He tangled his hand in my hair and I let out a small, soft noise of pleasure. Dan smiled at that. I pulled away from him.

"Dan, I need to leave," I say.

"Stay for a little bit longer," he says pouting adorably. "I'm sick. You can't say no to me,"

"I can't say no to you anyway," I say softly leaning forward and kissing him again.

"Text your dad tell him to pick you up from here. Then you can stay longer," Dan says.

"Okay," I whisper kissing him again and pulling out my phone. I snuggle into Dans side and text my dad. He's rang me a couple more times the past week and it's so weird to talk to him. He's missed out on so much of my life and suddenly he wants back in on it. I resented him for taking me away at first but me and Dan talked about it and I realised there wasn't much I could do and I might as well just get on with it. So all I have to do is survive the next three weeks. He texts back a minute later saying he'll be here in fifteen minutes and I reply with Dans room number.

"I really really wish you didn't have to go," Dan says.

"Me too," I say. "I'm going to miss you so much,"

"You'll come visit me this weekend right? And text me all the time? And ring me?" He asks.

"Of course," I say smiling kissing him again. My hand resting on his cheek. "I'm gonna miss this," I say against his lips, Dan laughs softly.

"Me too," he whispers.

He wraps his arm around me and just holds me close to him in the weird smelling, clinical room until there's a knock at the door and my dad comes in.

"Hiya Phil," he says a bit awkwardly.

"Hi Dad," I reply even more awkwardly.

"You must be Dan," my dad says holding his hand out. Dan shakes it.

"Nice to meet you," Dan says politely, Dad turns back to me.

"We should...er, get going," he says and I nod.

"Okay," I say and turn back around to Dan. His eyes are watering slightly. "I'll come visit you soon. I promise. And I'll ring you tonight. And you've got Chris and PJ. It's just a few weeks baby, it's going to be okay,"

"I know. It's stupid. I'm just gonna miss you a lot," he says.

"It's London, not Australia. I'll still talk to you every night. And when I get back we can look at houses and flats?" I say comfortingly and he nods and a single tear falls from his eye.

"I'm gonna wait outside. Five minutes," my dad says quietly and he walks out.

"God I can't survive the next three weeks with him," I say with a groan.

"It'll be fine Phil. Just text me and ring me. I want to hear about your new school. And don't meet anyone more attractive than me," he says.

"Impossible," I reply softly and he smiles.

"No but seriously you better not find someone better than me and break up with me," he says.

"Same to you,"

"Nobody here's good enough for me," he says sarcastically. "And besides at this rate I'm not going to be leaving this bed for he next three weeks,"

"I've really got to go now Dan," I say quietly but don't move.

"I know," he says. I stay exactly where I am though not wanting to leave him. I lean forward and bring our lips to meet I tangle my hands in his hair loosely do I don't hurt him and he wraps his arms around my neck I feel tears hit my cheeks and I don't know if they're mine or Dan's. "I love you," he whispers pulling away from me and leaning his forehead against mine.

"I love you too. I'll see you soon," I say and slowly get off the bed stroking his cheek softly and walking to the door. When I get to the door I blow him a kiss and wave goodbye and walk outside wiping the tears off my cheek.

"You ready to go?" Dad asks tentatively and I nod my head once and follow him through the hospital countlessly turning round to look back at Dan's door.